Current:Home > Finance213 deaths were caused by Japan’s New Year’s quake. 8 happened in the alleged safety of shelters -EliteFunds
213 deaths were caused by Japan’s New Year’s quake. 8 happened in the alleged safety of shelters
View
Date:2025-04-15 12:46:49
TOKYO (AP) — The 7.6 magnitude earthquake that hit the western coastline of Japan on New Year’s has killed 213 people as of Thursday. Eight of the deaths were at evacuation centers, where rescued people died from injuries and sickness.
Such deaths weren’t directly caused by the quakes, fires and mudslides. They happened in alleged safety.
“The pressures and stress of living in a place you aren’t used to lead to such deaths,” said Shigeru Nishimori, a disaster official in Ishikawa prefecture, the hardest-hit region.
Some 26,000 people whose homes were destroyed or deemed unsafe are staying at schools and other makeshift facilities. Even minor rain and snow can set off landslides where the ground is loose from the more than 1,000 aftershocks that rattled the region for more than a week. Half-collapsed homes might flatten.
Shinichi Kuriyama, director at the International Research Institute of Disaster Science, who has studied the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster that hit northeastern Japan in 2011, warned that the chances for death double among populations undergoing a disaster.
He said the number of deaths in Ishikawa evacuation centers surprised him.
“I’m really shocked,” he said. ”Communication is key and it appears to be sorely lacking.”
Kuriyama said the most vulnerable can be overlooked, missing food that’s being distributed, for instance, because they are unaware or can’t reach it. He added that Japanese tend to “suffer in silence,” which can make things worse.
Deaths from the New Year’s temblor centered on Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa have climbed daily, as rescue teams pull more bodies from the rubble. Of the deaths, 98 were in Suzu city, 83 in Wajima and 20 in Anamizu, with the rest in smaller numbers among four other towns. The number of missing people declined in recent days and now stands at 52.
Those injured totaled 567, and 1,830 homes were destroyed or seriously damaged, according to Ishikawa officials. More than 14,000 homes were without electricity, and nearly 59,000 homes had no running water.
A tsunami reaching as high as about 3 meters (10 feet) spewed into coastal homes after last week’s biggest quake. A fire destroyed part of Wajima city. A search began Tuesday into the remains of the fire for bodies.
Authorities warned about the raised risk of infectious diseases breaking out among people crammed into shelters. Food and drinking water supplies were short, especially initially.
People slept on cold floors, some without blankets, amid dropping temperatures and harsh winds. Sheets were hung for partitions to provide privacy and in an effort to curtail the spread of disease.
A week after the disaster hit Ishikawa, camping tents were set up at a big hall to accommodate 500 people — a change that could prevent further post-disaster deaths. People who are pregnant, sick or old get priority for the revamped accommodations.
Soon, they’ll be able to move to the 110 hotels and inns that volunteered to accept 3,000 people from the quake-damaged region. Nearby prefectures were also offering to open up their hotels.
With schools shuttered, people worried about the children, although some classes were moved to other campuses.
As criticism grew about the government’s disaster response, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s administration earmarked 4.7 billion yen ($33 million) for the disaster to provide food, water, blankets, milk and clothing. The spending was expected to grow.
___
Yuri Kageyama is on X: https://twitter.com/yurikageyama
veryGood! (936)
Related
- Who are the most valuable sports franchises? Forbes releases new list of top 50 teams
- Demi Lovato and Jutes Are Engaged: See Her Ring
- Zara pulls ad campaign that critics said resembled Gaza destruction
- Catholic activists in Mexico help women reconcile their faith with abortion rights
- Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
- Britain says a Royal Navy ship has shot down an attack drone over the Red Sea
- J. Crew Factory's 70% Off Sale Has Insane Deals On Holiday-Worthy Looks & Classic Staples
- Homelessness in America reaches record level amid rising rents and end of COVID aid
- Sonya Massey's father decries possible release of former deputy charged with her death
- Church of England blesses same-sex couples for the first time, but they still can’t wed in church
Ranking
- 'Survivor' 47 finale, part one recap: 2 players were sent home. Who's left in the game?
- Church of England blesses same-sex couples for the first time, but they still can’t wed in church
- Black American solidarity with Palestinians is rising and testing longstanding ties to Jewish allies
- WeightWatchers launches program for users of Ozempic and other weight-loss drugs
- The Best Stocking Stuffers Under $25
- Juwan Howard cleared to return as Michigan's head basketball coach, AD announces
- WWE star Liv Morgan arrested in Florida on marijuana possession charge
- Britain says a Royal Navy ship has shot down an attack drone over the Red Sea
Recommendation
New Zealand official reverses visa refusal for US conservative influencer Candace Owens
Browns DE Myles Garrett fined $25,000 by NFL for criticizing officials after game
NFL winners, losers of Saturday: Bengals make big move as Vikings, Steelers stumble again
Luton captain Tom Lockyer collapses after cardiac arrest during Premier League match
Bill Belichick's salary at North Carolina: School releases football coach's contract details
Convent-made delicacies, a Christmas favorite, help monks and nuns win fans and pay the bills
Finland seeks jailing, probe of Russian man wanted in Ukraine over alleged war crimes in 2014-2015
Boxer Andre August rethinking future after loss to Jake Paul, trainer says